The internship is an opportunity to gain real-world experience that supports your future career plans and network with professionals in the field while earning credit toward your degree.
Internships are available for the following graduate degree fields:
- Biotechnology
- Journalism
- Museum Studies
- Sustainability
Finding an Internship
We suggest that you search for internship opportunities through Career Services and the Crimson Careers database.
Most internships take place during regular business hours, so you should plan your schedule accordingly.
Registering for an Internship
You register for the internship after you receive a letter of authorization from the dean of academic programs. The timeline for registration follows the same calendar as all our other courses, but you need to have your project approved by:
- July 1 to register in fall
- November 1 to register in spring
- April 1 to register in summer
Internship Grading and Policy
You complete the internship within the time period agreed upon on the internship application, ordinarily one semester, but no longer than nine months.
All internships are pass/fail, except those for biotechnology, which requires a letter grade of B– or higher.
If you fail to complete substantial work for the internship, you will earn a grade of F, a failing grade, which will count as zero in your cumulative GPA.
You will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to enroll in the internship for one final time. The Board will only review cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the internship.
Biotechnology Internship
The Biotechnology field of study has a specific internship track, where you complete a 200-hour internship. The internship is an opportunity to apply newly acquired computation or biotechnology management skills to address a pressing business problem identified by your current or a potential biotechnology employer. You are required to identify an internship-site supervisor at the place of business, who will oversee your work. The option is ideal for those students who choose to earn a professional graduate certificate in bioinformatics or biotechnology management or a microcertificate in project management methodologies.
Internship advising and approval
Once you’ve completed 32 credits, you meet with Dr. Steven Denkin to discuss how an internship is critical to your biotechnology career plans and preliminary internship ideas as well as possible internship directors.
Once your internship is provisionally approved by Dr. Denkin, you’ll submit a formal internship proposal, which requires approval from both the intended internship-site supervisor at the place of business and Dr. Denkin before you can register for the 4-credit internship.
The internship requires the submission to Dr. Denkin of weekly progress reports and a final paper, which is a 20-page summary of your experience and achievements. Failure to provide weekly progress reports or final summary will result in an automatic failing grade.
The final grade is determined jointly by the internship-site supervisor and Dr. Denkin.
Journalism Internship
After being admitted, you may complete one, 4-credit, 200-hour internship, counting it as a journalism elective for the program. The internship enables you to gain valuable work experience and to network in the field while earning credit toward the degree. You can work for a print or online news or feature publication under the guidance of a site supervisor and the internship coordinator.
Internship Advising and Approval
After you have completed six degree courses, including the specific required courses, with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, you may complete the internship application form.
You are welcome to discuss your internship ideas with your academic advisor, Jody Clineff, or internship coordinator, June Erlick, before application submission to ensure that your project is likely to be approved.
Museum Studies Internship
This program considers improving professional practice as one of its fundamental goals. As a museum studies degree candidate, you may receive academic credit for a 200-hour internship related to the field of museum studies in lieu of one required elective course. This internship is an opportunity to work in a museum under the guidance of a museum supervisor. You will network with professionals in the field while gaining real-world experience to support your career plans.
Please note: Internships can be completed only by students residing within the United States. The museum must also be located within the United States.
Internship Advising and Approval
After you have completed 24 credits towards the degree, with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, meet with Kathy Jones to discuss your internship ideas and obtain approval for internship placement.
Once your internship has been approved by Kathy Jones, submit a completed and signed internship form for processing.
The four-credit internship requires the submission of weekly progress reports, and a final comprehensive summary of your experience and achievements.
Sustainability Internship
This program considers improving professional practice as one of its fundamental goals. You may receive academic credit only for an internship related to the field of sustainability and environmental management. This internship counts as a general elective course.
Internship Advising and Approval
You are eligible to apply one, 4-credit, 2oo hour internship, if you have been admitted to the capstone track of the sustainability program, and you have completed at least six courses taken for graduate credit with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Once a suitable opportunity is found, submit the internship application form and schedule a phone or in-person appointment with your research advisor to obtain approval.
After finishing your internship, you will have one calendar month to deliver an internship report to the ALM Advising and Program Administration Office, attention Stephen Blinn. The report must respond to the nine items outlined on the internship application form.
